Dana O’Neil: I’ll take Michigan State. Yes, this is about Miles Bridges, but it’s not just about Miles Bridges. The return of the super sophomore is reason for Sparty joy, but adding Bridges to a crew that includes Cassius Wilson, TumTum Nairn, Matt McQuaid, Gavin Schillig, Nick Ward, Joshua Langford and super frosh Jare Jackson is. Oh, and did I mention Tom Izzo is the coach?

Sam Vecenie:Michigan State has the best mix of star power, frontcourt depth and potentially strong point guard play in the country. Miles Bridges is the best returning player in the country. In addition, look for breakouts from Cassius Winston and Josh Langford as the Spartans’ stellar sophomore class leads Tom Izzo to his second championship.

Final Four

Brown: Duke, USC, Michigan State, Florida

Davis: Arizona, Michigan State, Notre Dame, Saint Mary’s

Hamilton: Michigan State, Duke, USC, Xavier

O’Neil: Michigan State, Duke, Wichita State, Xavier

Vecenie: Michigan State, Arizona, Villanova, Duke

Dark horse Final Four team

Brown:Xavier returned most of its key players from last season’s Elite Eight run. Guard Trevon Bluiett is the kind of player who can carry a team.

Davis:Seton Hall has a senior-dominated lineup and an All-America caliber center in Angel Delgado. The Big East is strong again from top to bottom, which means the Pirates will be well-prepared for the meat grinder of March.

Hamilton: At Texas A&M, Tyler Davis and Robert Williams are one of the best frontcourt duos in the country. The backcourt should come together with point guard JJ Caldwell eligible and Admon Gilder playing off the ball. DJ Hogg is a solid swingman, and there is reliable, veteran depth.

O’Neil: Remember it was Xavier that went to the Elite Eight a year ago, not Big East favorite Villanova. Trevon Bluiett and J.P. Macura form as solid a backcourt as you’re going to find, and adding graduate transfer Kerem Kanter solidifies the frontcourt.

Vecenie: It’s tough to find a weakness at Cincinnati. Mick Cronin teams defend. Offensively, the Bearcats are capable of playing a positionless, well-spaced style while also utilizing size and length inside.

Player of the Year

Brown:Miles Bridges came back to East Lansing on a mission. He’ll be a shining star for the Spartans.

Davis: O.K., I’m being somewhat contrarian in not going with Miles Bridges, but I do think Grayson Allen is healthy and poised for a huge year. He’s also playing on a very young team that will rely on him more heavily than Michigan State will rely on Bridges.

Hamilton: This might be a case where the numbers put up by Miles Bridges don't improve exponentially, because the Spartans should have ample auxiliary options. But it will be clear who the engine is for a national title contender.

O’Neil: Feel free to call me crazy, what with the eye-popping talent in the game this year, but hear me out. No player will be more important to his team than Bonzie Colson at Notre Dame. He’s already proven to be a ridiculous stat stuffer — a double-double last year — so count on him producing the numbers to get this done.

Vecenie: Simply put, Miles Bridges is the best sophomore to return to college basketball in a long time. He’s an explosive athlete whose motor and skill set allow him to produce with ease, and we know Tom Izzo will put him in the absolute best position to succeed.

Freshman of the Year

Brown:Michael Porter Jr. edges out Duke’s Marvin Bagley Jr. and Kentucky’s Kevin Knox simply because he’ll be asked to do more for Missouri. Bagley and Knox have a better supporting cast.

Davis: As I said, I am a big DeAndre Ayton guy, but Michael Porter Jr. is going to have the chance to do everything for Missouri. It also appears this team will be better than many of us thought, which will only enhance his case.

Hamilton: Missouri will run everything through Michael Porter Jr., a multifarious 6-10 forward who can play everywhere on the floor. And even though the returning players are beat down from the Kim Anderson era, there should be enough around him to avoid virtual one-on-five scenarios. The numbers will be large, and the team success should be sufficient.

O’Neil:Michael Porter Jr. is trying to do what Ben Simmons and Markelle Fultz couldn’t — earn more than just the No. 1 draft spot in his college hoops stopover. Porter will be unfairly saddled with the inevitable Kevin Durant comparisons, but with this perimeter game and size, he has the ability.

Vecenie: It’s tough to find a more polished three-level scorer entering college basketball than Michael Porter Jr. He can knock down the 3, pull up from midrange and finish way above the rim. Oh, and he’s 6-foot-10.

Most overrated team

Brown: Why must we do this every season with Kentucky? The eight freshmen may eventually play like the No. 5 team in the nation, as the Wildcats are currently ranked, but they likely won’t start that way — no matter how highly touted the recruiting class.

Davis:Florida finished second in the SEC last season, but the league is stronger this year. After losing three of their top four scorers, I don’t understand why people are anticipating the Gators will be better.

Hamilton: Yes, junior guard KeVaughn Allen should be a top-tier SEC performer with an even higher workload. But inexperience, injury questions and youth abound at Florida. The Gators won’t have John Egbunu back from a ACL tear until mid-winter, when the 6-11 senior will work his way to full-speed just as the competition spikes. No returning player besides Allen averaged close to double-digit scoring. There are too many unknowns to consider this a near-top 10 outfit.

O’Neil: I get the love for USC, what with Bennie Boatwright, Chimezie Metu, Jordan McLaughlin and Elijah Stewart in the fold, but it's always a big leap to go from team on the rise to arrived. Mix in the distraction of an FBI investigation of exiled assistant Tony Bland, and expecting USC to live up to the preseason hype is asking a lot.

Vecenie: I’m not 100 percent sure I see it with Florida from a talent perspective. I believe strongly in coach Mike White, but after losing Devin Robinson, Canyon Barry and Kasey Hill, this team could struggle to score.

Under-the-radar player

Brown:James Daniel III led the NCAA in scoring two seasons ago at Howard. He won’t be a volume shooter at Tennessee, but he’ll still be a scoring threat.

Davis:Chandler Hutchison of Boise State is a 6-foot-7 senior guard who can score in a variety of ways, as he showed when he hung 34 points on Utah in the NIT. He should be the Mountain West Player of the Year.

Hamilton: It’s risky to put too much stock into box score plus-minus, but consider this: As a junior, the 12.4 plus-minus of TCU forward Kenrich Williams ranked sixth nationally, ahead of such luminaries as UCLA’s Lonzo Ball, Villanova’s Josh Hart and Louisville’s Donovan Mitchell. Williams’s numbers (11.4 ppg, 9.7 rpg) are good, if not outrageous. But his 19 double-doubles led the Big 12, and his 5.6 win shares led the Horned Frogs on their march to the NIT title.

O'Neil: All eyes will be on Jevon Carter, but the work by Lamont West on the inside will be critical for West Virginia. In the NCAA Tournament, he redefined offensive efficiency, scoring 15 points in 15 minutes. He could develop into an all-Big 12 player.

Vecenie: At 6-8 and 245 pounds, Stanford's Reid Travis is an absolutely immovable object inside. This year, look for him to put the ball on the floor from the perimeter more often and become an even more potent offensive player.

Most underrated team

Brown:Baylor went from unranked to No. 1 in the land last season. The Bears may not make as drastic a jump this year, but point guard Manu Lecomte will have them challenging Kansas and West Virginia in the Big 12.

Davis: Yes, Virginia lost London Perrantes, but the Cavaliers lost Malcolm Brogdon the year before and didn’t fall far. I like the guard tandem of Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome, and, of course, a fellow could do a lot worse than bet on Tony Bennett.

Hamilton: Mick Cronin craved more balance and pace-and-space offensively last year at Cincinnati, but he didn’t have a point guard who fit the plan. Enter kinetic transfer Cane Broome, who will push tempo on both ends even if he won’t average the 23.1 points he did at Sacred Heart two years ago. Meanwhile, three double-digit scorers — Jacob Evans (13.5), Kyle Washington (12.9) and Gary Clark (10.8) — are back.

O’Neil: Experienced Seton Hall comes into this breakout season armed with three years of general misery as it tried to build the program. With Khadeen Carrington, Angel Delgado and Desi Rodriguez leading the way, the Pirates are the perfect combination of talented and ticked off.

Vecenie: I don’t think Tennessee is top-25 good, but I do believe the Vols will battle for an NCAA Tournament berth. They return a ton from a team that went 8-10 in the league last year, add a top-notch scorer in James Daniel and welcome a first-rate athlete in Yves Pons from France.

Mid-major to watch

Brown: It’s the first season Grand Canyon is eligible for the NCAA Tournament after completing its transition to Division I status. Coach Dan Majerle has a team that’s good enough to win the WAC and go dancing.

Davis: Losing Aubrey Dawkins to a season-ending shoulder injury was a bummer, but Central Florida still has gargantuan center Tacko Fall as well as a quality point guard in 6-6 junior B.J. Taylor.

Hamilton: The chemistry experiment will be interesting for a Nevada team coming off 28 wins and an NCAA tournament berth. Junior Jordan Caroline (15 ppg, 9.2 rpg) anchors everything. Now we'll find out if Reno being a hot transfer destination pays off. Kendall Stephens (Purdue), Hallice Cooke (Iowa State) and Caleb and Cody Martin (N.C. State) bring big-conference pedigrees and experience. It's a dangerous brew, if coach Eric Musselman can get it right.

O’Neil:Rhode Island was thisclose to the Sweet 16 a year ago and returns E.C. Matthews and Jared Terrell. Danny Hurley has good non-league tests against Seton Hall, Providence and Alabama, which should give his team plenty of chances to earn its due.

Vecenie: After going 25-10 last season, College of Charleston returns its top six players. The CAA is an underrated league nationally, and Earl Grant’s group should get tested before a potential NCAA Tournament run.

Breakthrough player

Brown: Wake Forest center Doral Moore watched Danny Manning develop John Collins from an unheralded recruit to a first-round NBA draft pick. Moore will have a chance to make the same leap that Collins did a season ago.

Davis: Now that the other Justin Jackson has left North Carolina for the NBA, people can set their sights on Maryland’s version. This Justin Jackson is a future pro as well and should improve considerably from a freshman season in which he averaged 10 points and six rebounds.

Hamilton: No, Sam Hauser, a 6-7 sophomore from Marquette, won't be an All-America. But he'll be asked to handle much more of a load than he did as a freshman, when he played in 32 games but registered a usage percentage of just 14.3. Still, in what limited time he spent with the ball, Hauser averaged 8.8 points with an offensive rating of 129.2 — second among rotation regulars. He's one of the Golden Eagles' big three, and one can imagine him doubling his output through sheer opportunity.

O’Neil:Mikal Bridges has been an athletically gifted role player for two seasons at Villanova, never pressed to do more. But with Kris Jenkins and Josh Hart gone, Bridges will have to be more than just an occasional scorer and nasty defender. He’s more than capable, and with Jay Wright in need of more production, he’ll deliver.

Vecenie: If I had to pick one player to lead the country in scoring this year, it would be Tyler Hall of Montana State. Hall (last year) and Stephen Curry (in 2008) are the only sophomores in the last quarter century to average at least 23 points while having a 63 true-shooting percentage.

Breakthrough coach

Brown: In his fifth year at Minnesota, Richard Pitino has his best team. The Gophers may push Michigan State for the Big Ten crown.

Davis: This is Joe Dooley’s fifth year at Florida Gulf Coast, and he may have his best team yet. He spent 10 years as an assistant under Bill Self at Kansas, which will make him an even more attractive option once the coaching carousel gets spinning.

Hamilton:James Jones, 53, has been at Yale since before the turn of the century, and he enters Year 19 with a team primed for a conference title run. The Bulldogs have Makai Mason back after a year lost to injury and are the highest-rated Ivy League team on KenPom.com. Given the current climate in college hoops, I wonder if a second NCAA Tournament bid in three years at an academically oriented school would catch the eye of ADs looking for a clean hire.

O’Neil: Following the underrated-team theory, it’s time for Kevin Willard to get his due. Burning up on the hot seat not too long ago, he begged Seton Hall administrators for one more season and returned with a recruiting class that now serves as the core of this Pirates team. Understandably he’s played in the shadows of Jay Wright, Chris Mack and even his dear old dad, but this could be Willard’s time to turn heads.

Vecenie: To be honest, this pick is kind of ridiculous. For those who know college hoops, Sean Miller has proven himself time and again as a terrific coach. But for some, he won’t get the respect he deserves until he gets to the Final Four. I think he does just that this season at Arizona and finally puts an end to the ridiculous conversation about his ability.

Storyline to watch

Brown: Legendary center Patrick Ewing returns to Georgetown to restore the Hoya Paranoia of the 1980s.

Davis: It’s a sad statement that someone coming back for his sophomore year is considered a big story, but it is most definitely unusual for someone to turn down the chance to be a lottery pick. If Miles Bridges is going to be the face of the sport this season, college hoops will look just fine.

Hamilton: It’s pretty simple. Will the ongoing federal investigation into college basketball have a massive impact on the regular season? We're already seeing players of potentially great impact held out of competition due to eligibility concerns. It’s doubtful prosecutors looking to make a splash would blanch at dropping more charges the day before a rivalry game or a conference tournament. And imagine the disruption for a school if any of its coaches are handcuffed and/or dismissed or any of its players are deemed suddenly ineligible midway through the year. It’s the sport’s sword of Damocles, hanging precariously overhead, waiting to drop — or not — at any moment.

O’Neil: Maybe best, as in most upbeat, isn’t the right word here, but depending on how the season progresses this could be a very uncomfortable season. Arizona, Miami, USC, Louisville and Alabama are all under FBI investigation. Yet all five are extremely talented, good enough to make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament. Come March, that could lead to a very weird, and not terribly PR friendly, intersection.

Vecenie: I don’t feel great picking the FBI investigation, but it’s a storyline that’s going to infiltrate every discussion in the sport this year. Who plays? Who sits? Who misses time due to suspension? What teams will be affected? This thing is the wild card that will shape the race for the national title.

Bold prediction

Brown: Despite all of the turmoil in Louisville's offseason, David Padgett will lead the Cardinals to a top-three finish in the ACC and an Elite Eight appearance.

Davis: I came close to picking Texas A&M as my Final Four dark horse, so I’ll go with this: The Aggies will win the SEC. They have the best frontcourt in the league – and maybe the country – in Robert Williams, Tyler Davis and Tonny Trocha-Morelos. I love the addition of 6-3 point guard Duane Wilson, a graduate transfer from Marquette.

Hamilton:Wisconsin's streak of top-four finishes in the Big Ten ends. There’s no worry about the bottom falling out; the Badgers will be an NCAA Tournament team. But a revamped roster full of unproven parts will be tested again and again as teams relentlessly double-team star forward Ethan Happ. And there are already four Big Ten squads — Michigan State, Minnesota, Northwestern and Purdue — that have vastly fewer questions to answer.

O’Neil: The FBI investigation won’t catch dozens of other schools in the crosshairs. I’m not saying it shouldn’t, but I just don’t see how it will. The FBI doesn’t go on innuendo or suggestion. It goes on proven facts, and absent of email chains or paper trails, it will be difficult to find other coaches and schools up to no good. No one, after all, appears to be talking these days.

Vecenie: Florida Gulf Coast, in 2013, is the last double-digit-seeded mid-major to make the Sweet 16. This is the year two such mid-majors survive the first weekend. The talent level in college basketball is down, and then there’s what happens with the FBI investigation. This season is setting up for madness.